Safety device for moving-picture machines



C. F. MEHL, H. B. LIEBLER, J. NALL AND E. J. NOB,BE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR MOVING fICTURE MACHINES.

APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 18. I919.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

INVENTOFS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. NEED HENRY B. LIEBLER, JABEZ NALL, AND EDWARD J. NOBBE, 0F

' CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented De 20 1921 Application filedJune 18, 1919. Serial No. 305,203.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we. CHARLES F. MEHL. HENRYB. LIEBLER, Jannz NALL, and EDWARD J. NOBBE. all citizens of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Cleveland. in the county of Cuyahoga andState of Ohio. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSafety Devices for Moving-Picture Ma chines; and we do hereby declarethe following to be afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in motion picture machines andespecially to a safety device whereby the ignition of the film isprevented in cases of the film breaking or becoming slack.

The objectiof the invent-ion is to provide a" device of this characterwhereby when the film breaks transversely or splits longitudinally thelight from the condensing lens will be immediately shut off, therebypreventing the film from being ignited owing to it'remaining stationaryin front of the lens.

Further object of our invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich will be absolutely automatic in operation and instantaneous inaction.

Our invention also consists in certain features of construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described in the specification, pointedout in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

e are aware that a number of devices have been made for accomplishingthe same purpose as our device and particularly a certain device whichemploys a single pivoted roller adapted to restagainst the film andarranged to fall in case the film breaks completely crosswise. Throughour experimenting and observation we have learned that the instances inwhich the film breaks entirely crosswise are comparatively rare and thatmost cases of trouble result from the film breaking at one side and thensplitting lengthwise. Now in case a single roller is em ployed theportion of the film which is intact will support the roller and therebyprevent the other mechanism from operation, while the torn end or sideof the film will pile up in front of the lens and become ignited. By ourinvention we provide a split roller or in other words we provide tworollers arranged in line with each other when resting against the film,but capable of independent movement, in case a portion of the film undereither roller becomes split or broken. In whlch case the unsupportedroller will fall, even though the other roller is supported by the film,and cause the operation of the mechanism adapted to shut off the lightfrom the condensing lens. 7

Referring now to the drawings Figure l is a top plan of a deviceembodying the invention. F 1g. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3is a section on line 3-3 Fig. 1 looking 1n the direction of the arrow.

Again referring to the drawing 4 represents a small base plate arrangedto be mounted on the frame of the moving picture machine adjacent to thefilm carrying rolls. On; the base 4 is a standard or sup-port 5 in whichis mounted one end of a stud shaft 6. On the stud 6 is mounted a drum 7having head or end portions 8 which are provided with teeth orprojections 9 to engage with the perforations in the film. On the sideof the plate opposite to the standard 5 is a small bracket member 10 andin this bracket member 10 is journaled a shaft 12 which projects at eachend of the said bracket. On the inner end of the shaft 12 is keyed alever arm 13 and on the outer end of the shaft is rigidly mounted an arm14. At its upper end, the arm 14 carries a stud shaft. 15 on which isarranged a guide roll 16. An adjusting screw 17 is mounted in thebracket 10 and is adapted to engage with the arm 15 for limiting theupward movement of said arm and consequently the relative distancebetween the guide roller 16 and the drum '7 which engages the film. Thefilm is shown at a and is carried down between the drum 7 and the roller16. On the base 4 is formed a. shaft 20. Two arms or levers 21 arepivotally supported at their lower ends on the said shaft 20 and theupper end of each lever or arm 21 is forked and between the forks isrotatably mounted a roller 22. Near the lower ends of the arms 21 arearranged lugs 23 the object of which will appear later. The arrangementof the arms 21 is such that when the film is in its normal position andintact the said arms will be inclined toward the film and the rollerswill rest on the film. Now in case the film breaks completely acrosstransversely both arms carrying the rollers will fall and assume theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, but should.

the film break across at one side and then split longitudinally theroller adjacent to the side at which the split started will fall andproduce the proper operation of the mechanism although the other rollerand arm remain upright.

In order to reset the roller carrying arms and also to providea safetyarrangement which will prevent the feeding of the film when the rollersare not in their operative position, the following arrangement isprovided: From the upper end of the arm 14 is pivotally hung a bar 25and this bar carries a horizontally arranged rod 26 which rests on topof the arms 21 and is adapted to engage with the lugs 23 on said arms21. Now, if we assume that the film has broken and the arms have fallento their lower position, the operator will take hold of the lever 13 andmove it upwardly. This will cause the arm 14 to swing down and away fromthe film carrying drum 7 and carrying with it the roller 16 and at thesame time the movement of the arm 14 will shove down the bar 25 causingthe rod 26 to engage the lugs 23 on the arms 21 which will cause thesaid arms 21 to swing up and back to their inoperative position. Afterthe film has been replaced on the device the lever arm 13 is swung downwhich brings the roller 16 back to its proper position for holding thefilm against the drum 7 and also lifts the bar 26 away from the lugs 23thereby ermitting the arms 21 to fall back until the rollers 22 thereonrest against the film. A

which are pivotally supported at a pointadjacent to the ends which liein the path of the rollers when they fall, so that these .ends standhigher than the opposite ends. These levers form one terminal of anelectric circuit and the other terminal of the circuit is shown at 31.Now when either or both rollers fall they come in contact with theshorter ends of the levers 30 causing the therefor, of a switchcomprising movable members and a stationary member, a pair of leverspivotally mounted near the movable. switch members and arranged to en-"age therewith, and a roller carried by each ever and adapted to restagainst different portions of the film and support said levers in theirupper position, the arrangement being such that on the breaking orsplitting of any part of said film one or both levers will fall and opensaid switch members.

2. The combination with a moving picture machine .and the motor andlight circuit therefor, of a switch comprising movable members and astationary member, said movable members being pivotally supported sideby side and in the same plane, a pair of levers pivotally mounted nearthe movable switch members and arranged to engage therewith, and aroller carried by each lever, said rollers being in axial alinement andadapted to rest against and be support ed by the film and each rollerextending gyer less than one-half of the width of the 3. The combinationwith a moving picture machine and the motor and light circuit therefor,of a switch comprising stationary terminal and movable terminals, leversarranged to operate the movable terminals, and a roller carried by eachof said levers and arranged to rest against difierent portions of thefilm and support said levers in their upper position, the arrangementbeing such that when the film breaks or splits the lever which wassupported by the portion of the film which breaks or splits will falland operate a movable terminal.

In testimony whereof, we sign the foregoing specification, in thepresence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. MEI-IL.

HENRY B. LIEBLE-R. JABEZ NALL.

EDWARD J. NOBBE.

Witnesses:

V. C. LYNCH, J. H. WooDwoR'rH,

